I am presently sipping one of the best cups of coffee I have had in a while: dark roast Sumatra… very strong.
Penjing is pulling in some morning sun.
The birds are at it.
All is right with the world.
Or not…
The blog went down sometime last evening.
We had to do a reboot.
I was on this morning with the wonderful tech guy in S. Africa who pulls levers behind the cyber curtain. He doesn’t know what happened and vows to look into it.
In the meantime, we may have a little downtime in the future as I make changes to how you get here. I’ll try to give you notice in advance.
For the rest, I made a little roast last night. I found it at the grocery for an absurdly low price per pound. Since we have so many nice root vegetables these days, it seemed the right thing to do.
After browning it with my usual preparation of seasoning, I put it in the oven, covered, for about an hour. I browned the veg, onion, carrot and parsnips and then put them in separately… just easier. When the roast was done… as I guessed it… I had this:
WARNING: Objects in the photo are larger than they appear.
I decided on some gravy. Thus I first added some water with just a hint of a prepared vinegar and started deglazing.
Finally I added a little flour mixed with a little more water. I didn’t have any stock around, alas, and I was in a hurry.
The result.
The roast was as tender as can be and the roasted veg very nice. I fended off death by starvation for another night and have leftovers.
In any event, that is the Sabine Farm, Penjing and blog report.
Again… when I make some changes in the near future, there will probably be a little downtime, but I’ll warn you.
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Ahhh, so it did go down.
I was afraid I had finally succeeded in getting banned and hadn’t even used my ‘A-list’ material to do so. [If you do use that material, I will probably ban you.]I figure if I’m gonna go, I want to go with all heretical guns blazing!
Glad to hear you have an actual tech support entity somewhere. Some of the ‘official’ church websites I sometimes have to deal with – if they go down, it usually means somebody forgot to hang some fresh bananas in front of Magilla.
Pot roast looks good {salivate}, by the way.
Where else can you get culinary ideas and the latest news on the ecclesial scene but here?
Sweet potatoes (white or “dry” ones, mind you, not orange ones) would go nice with this too.
I am glad to see that I am not the only person to use a wire whisk to make gravy.
I thought it might have gone down (the blog, I mean). I am sure your supper did. I have on several occasions noted with interest that you cook for yourself: I did, before I got married; I still cook often; when I am bach’in’ it, as they say, I cannot bring myself to do what I used to do.
I mean to say I admire your discipline. What I thought was discipline on my part was only enlightened self interest, it seems. My wife and I enjoy cooking together, and have even been inspired by a few of the meals you have prepared.
Thanks a padload Father! You had to post these on Friday morning. I am in the middle of my Friday morning meat withdrawl, and I see this delicious looking hunk o’meat.-GRRRR!
It looks lovely…I LOVE roasted parsnips ;)
Semper Fi!
Father,
Your culinary delights never fail to make me hungry!
VERY NICE!!!
Shane
Fr., I must confess I hate potroast due to an unfortunate incident involving my brand new car 12 years ago. My mother was moving that day and her best friend made a potroast for her. My mother held it in her lap as I drove her to her new home. The gravy spilled out of the container, all over my mother, the passenger seat, and the floorboard. It was August in NC, which means hot. The gravy congealed underneath the seat and I don’t think I ever completely eliminated the horrible odor. To this day, I just can’t eat that stuff.
Fr. Z, I love your cooking lessons.
Anne M, I had a similar incident with meatball hors deouvres and a church bus.
Fr Z, I see you are reading something by Ronald Knox… I was wondering what you think of his translation of the Bible? Perhaps His Hermeneuticalness will approve its restoration for the OF Lectionary! :-)
Emilio: I am really enjoying reading through his sermons.
All you were missing was a little Yorkshire pudding!
Father:
Would you consider some time when you feel like taking a break from monitoring the best religious weblog
in the world, posting some of you recipes?
We (your readers) could respond with our results and observations
May Father Zs roast – and all other culinary treats – taste angelic and go down smoothly for as long as he lives.
And may the blog never go down unannounced in the same period!
Father,
You should put out cookbook. I have no doubt many would happily pay for a book of your recipes, cooking tips etc.
Blessings.
You should have a TV programe: Cooking class with Fr. Z. I am glad the blog was really down and that I was not being blocked for my postings.
Jane: You are describing an awful lot of work. I can’t fathom how I would record and edit it. Perhaps I should put lots of digital video equipment on the wish list and a new Mac specialized for editing.
Father, since the ground has been broken on EWTN with Joanna Bogle’s Feasts and Seasons of the year, I am sure EWTN would help produce a “Cooking- Fr. Z-Style” program. This is tongue in cheek of course, as of course the time element would be daunting. And there is the travel, though, hey, they could come up to the farm! “Cooking- From Fr. Z’s Farm Kitchen.” Or “The Gourmet Catholic Country Kitchen with Fr. Z.” You could explain Latin things too as you cook!
Fr.
Have you tried Mystic Monk Coffee?
Dr. Eric: I haven’t, no.
…from his secret Sabine farm location,
EWTN presents…
Say The Black, Cook the Red (meat, that is)…
the barbecue episode!
or
Roasting and Rubrics…
Fr Z
Lets call them “vegetables” or at the very least “veggies”.
Thank you.
m